At Milk Makeup, we believe it’s not just how you create your look; it’s what you do in it that matters. That’s what our motto Live Your Look is all about. It means forgetting the rules. Having the freedom to show up as you every day, whether that’s with graphic liner or a glossed lip. Being seen and celebrated for living your truth. And there's no better way for us to show what that looks like than passing the mic to our Milk Fam.
In this series, we're opening it up to our community to share their inspirations, self-expression, beauty routines, and so much more. Get to know the faces behind our campaigns who are as inspiring off camera as they are on. This week, we're getting to know Ada, who starred in our Bionic Bronzer and Bionic Glow campaigns. Find out a little bit more about the model, forensics buff, and native New Yorker.
It’s hard to describe Ada in just a few words; as Gemini sun, she lives up to her sign’s reputation of being a chameleon. (Case in point? She joined us on set amid her new job as a hospital manager.) In her spare time, the model, who grew up in Canarsie, Brooklyn, can be found listening to audiobooks, discovering new music on Spotify, and taking time to self-reflect. She balances her natural curiosity with a secure sense of self and frequent introspection to make sure she’s in a good headspace. We caught up with her after the shoot to get the scoop on her beauty routine, her dream superpower(s), and how she stays true to herself amid constant change.
How would you describe your personal style?
I wear a lot of all black; if it’s all black, I’m probably going to wear it. I would also say sleek: I’ll have on leather pants and add a black long-sleeve shirt. I’ve been trying to change, slowly, to incorporate more colors.
What’s your attitude towards beauty?
I spend a lot of time on my emotions and my mental health so that I can be beautiful, because I have to work on that stuff first.
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What is your go-to makeup look?I just do clean skin. I’ll wake up, do my facial care, and then do my eyebrows first. I apply my powder and maybe a little contour if I wear my hair up. Illuminator and bronzer are my two favorite products when I do my makeup. I really like to bring the warmth back to my face, especially since I feel like I have a problem finding my foundation shade. So I feel like they’ve helped me master my makeup. What does the ideal day look like for you?I wake up at 4 AM. If I’m feeling extra motivated, I’ll do my exercises and I’ll eat—all of that by 9 AM. I’ll probably lie back down until 12 PM, then get up and start reading or listen to an audiobook. Right now, I’m reading The Mystical Qabalah. If you could only use one Milk product for the rest of your life, what would it be?The Hydro Grip Primer. I like the fact that it keeps my makeup on. I have combination skin, so I like something that’s going to be tacky but not too drying. I can still have my glow, but I am not a grease box by the end of the day. Sometimes I still wear it even when I don’t wear makeup; I apply it after my moisturizer. If you could have a one-way ticket to anywhere, where would you go?I would go to Egypt. I need to see it, like the pyramids of Giza and stuff like that. It would be so cool. |
What album or song has currently been on repeat for you?
I’ve been listening to South African music for about a year now, and I couldn’t even tell you the song lyrics—they’re literally not in English.
Wait, how did you get started listening to African music?
When I went to college, I met my friend Becky, who’s from South Africa. So, we got acclimated and she just put me on to the culture. Years later, I heard a snippet of a song on Instagram and was like, “Oh my god, Becky do you know what this is?” And she was like “Yeah, girl, where have you been?”
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If you could have any superpower, what would it be?I’d have two. I want to be able to travel anywhere instantly. The second one would be to read minds. I need to know all the secrets. I went to school for forensics, so I would only use it for that space, like, “Did you do this murder or did you not?” What made you want to go into forensics?When I was smaller, I used to watch NCIS a lot, and I just loved seeing Abby [Scuito, the chief forensic scientist] in the lab. But even prior to that, science wasn’t that hard for me. I just like solving stuff. And I just want to be in a business that matters. I’m a manager at a hospital right now; I literally just started. What makes you excited to rise up in the morning?Oh, another chance to fix what I didn’t do yesterday. I’ve been trying to stop being so hard on myself for the things I am still trying to figure out anyways. It doesn’t really make sense to feel like I need to have it all right now. I’m only 23—please. |
Here at Milk, we have a saying called “Live Your Look.” How do you personally live your look?
By waking up every day and analyzing myself. Like, you have these things that you’re doing right now. You have these things that you want to move on. You have these things that are more so long-term goals. What can you put your energy into right now that’s going to make you feel good and not get trapped into what you’re not doing and what you don’t have?
That’s what I’ve really been working on, making sure I’m okay. My sister would always ask me, “Ada, you’re doing this, you’re doing that—how are you going to feel when you get to where you want to go?” And I was like, “That’s the point.” I already know who I am, what I want, and why I want it. And that’s it.
Follow Ada on Instagram @adalheidis__
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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